The Meaning of Leviticus 11:10 Explained

Leviticus 11:10

KJV: And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

YLT: and any one that hath not fins and scales in the seas, and in the brooks, of any teeming creature of the waters, and of any creature which liveth, which is in the waters -- an abomination they are to you;

Darby: but all that have not fins and scales in seas and in rivers, of all that swarm in the waters, and of every living soul which is in the waters they shall be an abomination unto you.

ASV: And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination unto you,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And all that have not fins  and scales  in the seas,  and in the rivers,  of all that move  in the waters,  and of any living  thing  which [is] in the waters,  they [shall be] an abomination  unto you: 

What does Leviticus 11:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 11:1-23 - 41-47, The Distinction Between Clean And Unclean
There were good and sufficient reasons for excluding certain animals from Israel's dietary. Devout medical men insist that this is the finest sanitary code in existence, and that many of the diseases of modern life would disappear if it were universally adopted. God made these distinctions matters of religion, that the well-being of His people might be doubly assured. These restrictions were also imposed to erect strong barriers between the chosen people and the heathen. So long as they obeyed, it was clearly impossible to participate in the heathen festivals, where many of these animals were partaken of.
We are not now bound by these enactments. Our Lord made all meats clean, Mark 7:19, r.v. Peter was bidden to kill and eat all manner of creeping things, and his protest was overborne by the assurance that God had cleansed all. See Acts 10:11-16. Religion consists not in outward rites, but in the inward temper. See Hebrews 9:10. Note that touching was forbidden, because the least contact with evil hurts the soul. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 11

1  What animals may be eaten
4  and what may not be eaten
9  What fishes
13  What fowls
29  The creeping things which are unclean

What do the individual words in Leviticus 11:10 mean?

But all that not to you do have fins and scales in the seas or in the rivers all that move in the water or any thing living which [is] in the water [are] an abomination they -
וְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֵֽין־ ל֜וֹ סְנַפִּ֣יר וְקַשְׂקֶ֗שֶׂת בַּיַּמִּים֙ וּבַנְּחָלִ֔ים מִכֹּל֙ שֶׁ֣רֶץ הַמַּ֔יִם וּמִכֹּ֛ל נֶ֥פֶשׁ הַחַיָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמָּ֑יִם שֶׁ֥קֶץ הֵ֖ם לָכֶֽם

וְכֹל֩  But  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
ל֜וֹ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
סְנַפִּ֣יר  do  have  fins 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סְנַפִּיר  
Sense: fin.
וְקַשְׂקֶ֗שֶׂת  and  scales 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: קַשְׂקֶשֶׂת  
Sense: scale (of fish, water animals).
בַּיַּמִּים֙  in  the  seas 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וּבַנְּחָלִ֔ים  or  in  the  rivers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
שֶׁ֣רֶץ  that  move 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֶׁרֶץ  
Sense: teeming or swarming things, creepers, swarmers.
הַמַּ֔יִם  in  the  water 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
וּמִכֹּ֛ל  or  any 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נֶ֥פֶשׁ  thing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
הַחַיָּ֖ה  living 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  which  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בַּמָּ֑יִם  in  the  water 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
שֶׁ֥קֶץ  [are]  an  abomination 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁקֶץ  
Sense: detestable thing or idol, an unclean thing, an abomination, detestation.
לָכֶֽם    - 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural